Tripura insurgents' hideouts in Bangladesh reduced: BSF

Insurgents of Tripura are still using the soil of Bangladesh, but the number of their hideouts there have reduced following improvement of relations between border guards of the two countries, a top BSF official of the state said today.
"Some positive developments have taken place in Bangladesh since the BSF is having an improved relation with its Border Guard Bangladesh. The ultras are still using the soil of the neighbour, but the number of hideouts declined," IG of BSF Tripura Frontier, MF Farooque said.
"It's now very difficult for the ultras to operate from the neighbouring country," he said.
Though almost 80 per cent of the state border with Bangladesh is now fenced, there are various problems in completing it.

"Sometime local people oppose. Sometimes BGB objects on the plea that border agreement is not followed. Besides, it becomes troublesome to erect fencing in the riverside or rivulets," the IG said.
The authorities are in constant touch with the BGB to remove the hurdles in completing fencing, he said adding the 856 km long border in the state would be fenced shortly.

Terming that smuggling of fake Indian notes is the biggest challenge for the border guards, the IG said a special task force of BSF and BGB has been set up to check the menace.
"Smuggling of fake notes has also been reduced along the border as we share inputs with BGB," he said.

Asked about threat from Islamic States (IS), the IG said there is no report of its influence here and he is not in a position to tell anything about it across the border.
Currently, 18 battalions of BSF troops are deployed in guarding the 856 km Indo-Bangla border in the state.